This chapter is short, so I am posting it with Chapter 5. I'm sure no one has any objection to that. If they do...welll get over it. (By the way, I have new piratey merchandise!!! I love my Jack shirt...)
The frantic couple spent the next two hours furiously adjusting sails, throwing what few objects that were aboard over the railing, and at one point, attempting to row the small boat to safety. Iago's ship was gaining on them fast, and they were getting very tense.
"By nightfall we'll have no chance," Jack murmured distractedly turning his attention from the coming ship to the afternoon sun.
"Don't say that," Stella cried, barely able to contain herself. If Jack gave up, there really was no chance. "There has to be a way out."
"Really? Well it looks as if there isn't." Jack yelled, obviously very irritated.
"Perhaps we're not looking hard enough!" Stella snapped back.
"Well by all means, do look harder!" Jack shouted, hurling the telescope at her. She caught it in front of her face, and walked to the opposite rail. She held the telescope to her eye, dusting flakes of rust from her palms. "Well, Jack, since you are so observant, I'm sure you knew that there was LAND over there!" she said, pointing to a strip of grey land that seemed fairly close by.
"Well, no, but what good would that do us? Then we'd just be stopping to confront them." Jack responded.
Stella could not believe the situation. For the first time in her life, effort was futile, and she was hopeless. Her eyes began to well up with tears of the frustration of the past few hours.
Jack was overwhelmed with a feeling of hopelessness and failure. He lifted the brim of his hat just enough to see Stella's solemn face, glistening with tears. He knew it hadn't been a mistake to save her, no mistake to buy the boat and make her '"co-captain". He almost managed a smile, remembering the silly "officiating ceremony" he put her through when they bought the boat in Port Royal.
"Now, the code states very clearly, that a co-captain must fulfill her duties completely, one of these said duties being to wake the captain every morning without the use of violence, no matter how difficult it may be. The only force acceptable would be that of kisses," he had added, looking up from the blank page that served as the "code". "Now for the ceremony. Do you, Stella, promise to fulfill these duties to the best of your ability and without fail?" Stella, laughing, had nodded. "Now balance this rusted sword on your head for fifteen seconds." Stella couldn't stop laughing enough to make the sword balance. "Good enough," Jack announced to the invisible crowd. "I believe you will be a quite sufficient co-captain."
Jack came back into reality. The sun was almost beyond the horizon, and Stella sat despondently huddled by the rail. With great effort, he lifted himself from the floor, and crawled to her side.
Stella's face stung in the chilling wind, and she could see her heavy breath float briefly in front of her. She stared off at nothing in particular in the distance, as she felt Jack's arm on her shoulder.
"Care for some rum, love?" Jack murmured thoughtfully. "Let's go downstairs where the wind isn't so cold."
Stella looked at him, and thought perhaps a bit of rum wouldn't hurt anything. With Jack's arm guiding her, she got up, and taking one last look out at the setting sun and the ship approaching, she turned and climbed downstairs.